Perhaps it was the strange bond forged through fighting, but the next day, when the fierce prison matron brought food again, it was still the same thin porridge and the same sour-smelling cornbread buns.
This time, everyone who had previously despised the food—including Xie Wanying—drank the porridge. Three full bowls each, gulped down the way Tang Qingluo had done.
As she drank, Xie Wanying secretly glanced at Tang Qingluo, afraid she might catch a look of contempt or hear some unpleasant remark.
But Tang Qingluo was not Xie Wanying. She didn’t even look her way once.
Xie Wanying let out a sigh of relief—then immediately felt awkward again.
This time, it seemed she had been small-minded again.
[Mission issued: Kill one person. Reward: One battle axe. Time limit: Three days. Failure will result in lightning punishment.]
If she hadn’t already swallowed the porridge, Tang Qingluo would probably have choked to death on the spot.
Beating people up was one thing—killing someone? She didn’t dare.
Fine. She’d just wait to be struck by lightning.
Tang Qingluo shut down emotionally.
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from afar, growing closer. Before anyone appeared, a familiar voice rang out.
“Open the cell next door. Carry these people inside.”
It was the jailer’s voice. No idea which family had it even worse than theirs—these ones were being carried in.
Suddenly—
“Father—! Big Brother—!” Xie Wanying cried out, her voice breaking.
“Father—! Third Brother—!” That was Xie Wenrui, Fifth Young Master of the third branch.
“Jizhi—!” Lady Ruan of the fourth branch cried out.
Chaos erupted. Urgent movements, panicked voices. Everyone in the cell surged forward, pressing against the bars to look out.
“Grand Tutor—it’s the Grand Tutor—!” Lady Da Yun recognized Xie Taishi being carried in. He was unconscious, his body soaked in blood.
Where was Zhong’er? Where was Ting’er? Why weren’t father and son there? And what about Yi’er? Shun’er?
Lady Da Yun clung to the cell door, staring for a long time, but she never saw Xie Zhongzhi, Xie Wenting, Xie Yizhi, or Xie Shunzhi.
Her vision went black, and she collapsed.
“Mother—!” Lady Xiao Yun screamed, but no one paid attention.
Each branch was consumed with worry over whether their loved ones in the neighboring cell were alive or dead. No one had the energy to care about Lady Xiao Yun or Lady Da Yun.
Tang Qingluo peered through the gaps between the iron bars, trying to catch a glimpse of her so-called husband.
Since arriving here, she hadn’t seen him even once. Now that she finally had the chance, her curiosity was impossible to suppress.
But with the bars in the way and every person being carried in covered in blood, she couldn’t see his face clearly.
Still, with the original owner’s memories, she could guess which one was him.
Judging by his condition—like a walking corpse—he was badly injured. Who knew if she was about to become a widow?
Tsk, tsk.
Tang Qingluo sighed inwardly.
[Emergency mission issued: Save Xie Lanyi. Reward: One bottle of Detoxifying Perfume. Time limit: One day. Failure: Host will be erased.]
What?
Erased?
That meant this was a mission she had no choice but to complete.
Tang Qingluo had a sentence stuck in her heart that she didn’t know whether to say or not.
“Elder Sister-in-law, what should we do? Father, Big Brother, Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Third Brother—they’re all covered in blood. I’m scared… I’m really scared.”
At some point, Xie Wanying had come to stand beside her.
Perhaps she never truly expected Tang Qingluo to come up with a solution. She was just panicking, and Tang Qingluo happened to be nearby—so she grabbed onto whoever was there.
“What else can we do? First thing, we have to find them a doctor.”
If she didn’t act quickly, Tang Qingluo feared Xie Lanyi would die and the system would erase her. Left with no choice, she had to figure out how to save him.
“Call your mother. And have the people from the third and fourth branches come over too. We need to discuss this together.”
Tang Qingluo lowered her voice as she instructed Xie Wanying.
At this moment, Xie Wanying naturally didn’t dare argue. Having something to do actually steadied her nerves.
Soon, after Xie Wanying passed on the message, the first, third, and fourth branches gathered together.
“Mother, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt—tell me honestly. Do any of you have money hidden on you?”
Tang Qingluo needed to know this before she could take the next step.
“Yes.” Lady Ruan of the fourth branch answered readily. She pulled out a silver note from the sole of Eleventh Miss Xie Wanning’s shoe—one hundred taels.
“I do too.” Lady Jiang of the third branch used the same hiding method. From under Tenth Miss Xie Wanxuan’s shoe, she produced another hundred-tael note.
Lady Wang of the first branch hid hers differently—in her hair bun. “Here. One hundred taels.”
Tang Qingluo accepted all three hundred-tael notes without ceremony and tucked them into her robes.
“Officer, could you come here for a moment?”
Tang Qingluo beckoned to a constable guarding outside the cell.
“What is it?” The constable’s expression was unfriendly, his tone harsh.
“It’s like this, Officer. One of the men brought into the neighboring cell is my husband. I don’t know how badly he’s hurt, and I wanted to ask if I could get a doctor for him. Would that be possible? Please, Officer—have a little compassion.”
Her calm tone and respectful attitude softened the constable’s expression somewhat.
“Madam, getting a doctor is impossible. Orders from above. No one in that cell is allowed medical treatment. Whether they live or die depends entirely on their fate.”
Such serious injuries, no treatment—wasn’t that just waiting for death?
The words stunned the first, third, and fourth branches, filling them with panic.
Tang Qingluo shook her head, signaling them not to protest.
“Officer, if that’s the case, I won’t make things difficult for you. But as his wife, I must at least do something for him. Would you be able to help me fetch two buckets of clean water and a few pieces of cotton cloth for bandaging?”
She paused, then continued softly, “And I’d like to cook something for him. Could you take me to the kitchen? If… if something happens to him, I should at least see him off properly and do my duty as his wife.”
As she spoke, Tang Qingluo pulled out a hundred-tael silver note and pressed it into the constable’s hand.
“Of course, I won’t let you help me for nothing. Please accept this as compensation.”
The constable’s eyes lingered on the silver note. Tempted, but still hesitant.
“Officer, don’t worry. I won’t run. If you’re concerned, you can follow me the whole time. Even if I’m cooking in the kitchen, you can stand right there and watch. That way, you’ll be at ease.”
With Tang Qingluo saying this, the constable finally made up his mind. He waved to another guard nearby.
“Xiao Hu! Go fetch a set of constable’s clothes. And bring two buckets of clean water and some clean cotton cloth.”
“Got it, Brother Li!” Xiao Hu grinned, knowing there was money to be made.